laxative
Americannoun
adjective
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of, relating to, or constituting a laxative; purgative.
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Archaic.
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(of the bowels) subject to looseness.
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(of a disease) characterized by looseness of the bowels.
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noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of laxative
1350–1400; Middle English laxatif (< Middle French ) < Medieval Latin laxātīvus loosening ( see laxation, -ive)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He quickly noticed the laxative effect for which Epsom salts would become world-famous, drawing hordes of stopped-up tourists to the town for decades to come.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2024
There are also potential safety concerns - and they extend beyond the laxative effects that high consumption of polyols can produce.
From BBC • Dec. 14, 2023
It’s an osmotic laxative: it works by attracting water molecules to the colon, causing more-watery stool to form.
From Scientific American • Nov. 1, 2023
Apple peels are also packed with fiber that acts as a laxative.
From Salon • Aug. 10, 2023
Suddenly Miss Ellis began to speak, her voice bright and fake like a laxative commercial: “Well, I’ve got some rather astounding news for you, Gilly.”
From "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
